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But they too had their enemies and numbers did not live to reach the water's edge, in spite of the fact that the mother caiman had the unpleasant habit of keeping a watchful eye on her nest and escorting her brood to safety if she chanced to be present when it came into the world.

No venomous reptiles lurk in these fragrant places: the seed-tick, mosquito, and a spiteful little fly are the greatest annoyances. The horned lizard, which the Indians esteemed so delicate, and the ferocious crocodile, or caiman, haunt the secluded sands and large streams, and the lagoons which form in marshy places.

She rose; and, casting a look first at the dead body, and then upon the caiman, hurried off to the house. In a few minutes she came back, bringing with her a long spear. It was the hunting-spear of her husband often used by him in his encounters with the Brazilian tiger, and other fierce creatures of the forest.

At all events, the struggle must have been going on for some time, for the sand was torn up, and scored, in many places, by the sharp claws of both. The battle appeared to be still at its height when our party arrived on the spot. Neither tortoise nor caïman paid any attention to their presence, but fought on pertinaciously.

Her hands alone were above the surface. Amyas caught convulsively at her in the darkness, and seized her wrist. A yell rose from the negroes: a roar from the crew as from a cage of lions. There was a rush and a swirl along the surface of the stream; and "Caiman! caiman!" shouted twenty voices. Now, or never, for the strong arm!

The tortoise, on its part, rose at intervals upon its hind-feet, and making a dash forward, would dart forth its long neck, and clutch at the softer parts of its antagonist's body just under the throat. Several times it had succeeded in this manoeuvre, and each time it had brought the piece with it, so that the caïman was already somewhat mangled.

As there was not very much room in the anchorage for manoeuvring, we got under way in succession, the Josefa taking the lead, followed by Don Miguel, after which went La Belle Estelle, while El Caiman, with her canvas set, strained at the cable which secured her to the buoy, as though she were afraid of being left behind.

The caiman crawls lazily along the bank, or hides his hideous body under the water of a sluggish stream, and the not less hideous form of the iguana, recognised by its serrated crest, is seen crawling up the tree-trunk or lying along the slope of a lliana.

Of course, to hit one in the eye requires a sure aim, and a good opportunity when the animal is lying still upon the bank or on the water. When out of the water a caiman may be shot in the soft elastic skin behind the fore-shoulder; but this is a very uncertain method of killing one; and several shots fired into his body at this part will often fail to prove fatal.

The one in question was some six or seven feet long, and altogether not much heavier than the turtle itself. It was not for the purpose of eating each other they fought. No their strife was evidently on other grounds. No doubt the caiman had been attempting to plunder the new-laid eggs of the tortoise, and the latter had detected him in the act.